Visiting the Copenhagen studio of award-winning designer Cecilie Manz to uncover the thoughts and ideas behind her Workshop design for Muuto, combining the values of Scandinavian craftsmanship with a modernly understated expression.
Cecilie Manz’ studio in the heart of Copenhagen is divided into four spaces, each with a separate street entrance. The first space is where Manz’ team works, the second serves as a workshop for making models and testing new ideas, the third is a combined meeting and kitchen area where the team discusses projects, have communal lunches and meet with collaborators (a lot of Manz’ creations are present here as well, including her Workshop and Compile designs for Muuto) and the last door leads into Manz’ own workspace.
An abundance of natural light is flowing into the room where Manz is seated in the Workshop Chair with a 1:1 model of that very design next to her. Speaking on how the design came to be, Manz says: “I’ve always believed that you shouldn’t be afraid of doing something that’s quiet; something that isn’t about making noise in one way or the other. That’s where the initial idea for the Workshop Chair came from.”
In 2015, Cecilie Manz was asked by the MINDCRAFT-exhibition for Milan Design Week to contribute with a design, the only condition being that it should be a wooden chair. From there, Manz headed into her workshop and began modelling her vision for the design: “I like to approach my design process in a somewhat intense way, spending all my time in the workshop on that one single design from start to finish. I think the Workshop Chair took around two weeks from initial idea to the final model,” she says.
After having made the Workshop Chair in a 1:1 model of cardboard and foam, Manz’ team drew up the design on the computer and worked with a carpenter on the final, physical version. “If you compared the chair that I exhibited at MINDCRAFT with the actual Workshop Chair today, you’d hardly see any difference: The subtle details of its joinery, the crisp veneer, the curved seat and back—it’s all there,” she notes.
The Workshop Chair is available in Oak, Black Lacquered Oak and Oregon Pine. On the materiality of the design, Manz says: “The original design was made in Oregon Pine. It’s one of my favorite materials to work with. It is at once soft, light and warm and follows the ideas of silent expressionism in the Workshop Chair.”
“To me personally, the Workshop Chair is exactly how I’d want a wooden chair: Simple, quiet and modest, adding an understated character to its surroundings while taking up close to no space visually and physically,” explains Manz. Examining the chair further, she expands: “I wanted for the design to have a sense of familiarity, allowing you to feel intuitively at ease with it. The idea was to make it just archetypal enough for it to be relatable for anyone. The Workshop Chair didn’t need any explanation: it does the explaining on its own.”
In the spring of 2018, a Workshop Coffee Table was added to the series, translating the refined craftsmanship and subtle detail into a new context.
Text by muuto
I have photographed muuto's showroms between 2017-2021. Here is a small selection.
Since the founding of her studio in 1998, Danish designer Cecilie Manz has been a pioneer when it comes to bringing new perspectives to Scandinavian design.
This fall, Manz received the esteemed Honorable Award from the foundation of Denmark’s National Bank and, as tradition has it, mounted a solo exhibition, centered around her process of designing, at the Danish Architecture Center in Copenhagen. At the heart of the exhibition is Manz’ Workshop Chair, designed for Muuto.
We sat down with Manz to talk about the exhibition, her design process and how the Workshop Chair came to life.
Dubbed The Needle in the Haystack, the exhibition acts as an in-depth experience of Manz’ design process; from sketches over models and prototyping to the final object, spanning the entire breadth of industrial design across furniture, lighting, accessories, cutlery and even a bathtub. At the heart of the exhibition lies Manz’ Workshop Chair, designed for Muuto.
“I’ve always believed that you shouldn’t be afraid of doing something that’s quiet; something that isn’t about making noise in one way or the other. That’s where the initial idea for the Workshop Chair came from,” says Manz and adds: “The original design was made in Oregon Pine. It’s one of my favorite materials to work with. It is at once soft, light and warm and follows the ideas of silent expressionism in the Workshop Chair.”
Upon entering the exhibition at the Danish Architecture Center, one meets the first podium upon which the design process of the Workshop Chair is brought to life while a number of the chairs in black are lined up against each wall.
On the role of Workshop Chair in the exhibition, Manz notes: “I chose the Workshop Chair as one of two highlighted projects as I found it to be a concise example of a short and intense sprint from initial idea to the complete design. I tend to sketch around a lot, but the Workshop Chair was conceived solely through modelmaking in our workshop. It started with a rough iteration from where we made it more and more detailed throughout.”
When walking around the exhibition space to a neatly curated soundscape that flows throughout, one almost gets the feeling of being in the workspace of Manz herself. On this, she remarks: “I wanted to show all that goes on in my Sølvgade studio; the projects that have been underway for years and the great amount of effort that lies behind each; to show that designing objects aren’t merely to jot down sketches on a piece of paper, hand them to a manufacturer and say ‘See you in Milan next year’ — there’s so much work back and forth internally and with the manufacturer that goes on throughout several years,” she says.
When asked for an example of design processes that are more encompassing than one might think, Manz explains: “It can take three years to develop a simple, great spoon; how does it feel when in use? Is its aesthetics in balance? What’s the distribution of weight like? Can we carve it out a bit more to make it softer? What happens if we deduct a quarter of a millimeter here? This was something that I wanted to expand on; the laborious process that makes up the large majority of my work and time.”
Ending on her thoughts on what emotion or impression that she wanted to evoke through the exhibition, Manz closes: “That I am personally accountable for every single product that I bring into the world; that you can place your trust and faith in every singular detail and that the final product is exactly as it should be.”
Picture published in Dezeen & Wallpaper
During design 3 Days of Design 2018, the temporary installation saw the co-working facility furnished with a wide range of Muuto products, creating workspaces, lounge areas and conference spaces.
Interior designer Natalia Sanchéz wants to make the office feel as cosy as the home. To show how it can be done, she kitted out Copenhagen workspace Nomad with furniture by Danish design brand Muuto.
Picture published in Dezeen & Wallpaper
During design 3 Days of Design 2018, the temporary installation saw the co-working facility furnished with a wide range of Muuto products, creating workspaces, lounge areas and conference spaces.
Interior designer Natalia Sanchéz wants to make the office feel as cosy as the home. To show how it can be done, she kitted out Copenhagen workspace Nomad with furniture by Danish design brand Muuto.